Improvement in magazine fire-arms



L. WHEELOCK.

' 'Magaiine Fire Arm.

Patented Dec. 1, 1868.

Wiivwaaza:

i the LUKE 'WHEELOOK, OF NEW HAVEN, GONNEGTIOUT, ASSIGNOR T0 WINCHESTER REP-EATING-ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE;

Letters Patent No. 84,598, dated December 1, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT In MAGAZIN FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

said drawings constitute part of this specification, and 1' represent, in-

Figure 1, a Sectional side view of the Winchester arm, the operative mechanism being that patented to Smith and Wessen, February 18,- 1854.

Figure 2, a detached View, showing -'the hammer set. at full cock, and" under the control of the auxiliary sere; and in Figure 3, a detached front view of the hammer and sere.

This invention relates to an improvement in breechloading or repeating fire-arms, especially to that class known as The WinehesterRepeating Fire-Arms, but

is applicable alike to other arms in which the hammer is set at full cock, by the depression of the trigger-guard, for the purpose of loading, the object being to prevent the accidental discharge or let-ofl' of the hammer before the trigger-guard shall have been returned to its place, the cartridge inserted, and the breech closed and The invention consists in the arrahgement of an auxiliary sere, which, when the trigger-guard is de pressed, comes into action, so as-to catch the hammer when at full cook, the said sere being operated by the trigger-guard, so that the said auxiliary sere will be thrownput from the hammer when the guard is returned to its place. But while the auxiliary sere supports the hammer, the principal sere cannot release the hammer, but, so soon as the' auxiliary sere is removed by the return of the guard, then the principal sere comes into action in the usual manner.

To enable others to construct and use my improvement, I will fully describe the same, as illustrated in the'accompanying drawings.

A is the frame. B, the trigger-guard, pivoted in the frame at D. 0, the hammer, pivoted in the frame at E, and within the frame is arranged a toggle-joint, F and H, operated by the upper arm of the trigger-guard B, so that,

1 when the said trigger-guard is depressed or thrown for.-

ward, the piston or spindle L to which the toggle F is attached, is drawn back so as to force the hammer'to full cock, as seen in fig. 2, and as in the Smith and- Wesson patent, and Winchester arm, before referred to. M is the principal sere, formed upon the trigger N, and pivoted at, a, so as to catch and support the hammer in the usual manner.

When the trigger-guard is thrown forward, it exposes the trigger, which is liable to be accidentally hit,

so as tg release the hammer entirely. To avoid this, I arrange an auxiliary sere, 1, upon the same pivot, a, (or another pivot, if desired,) and operated by a spring, so that, when the hammer is raised, if the auxiliary sere is free, it will fall into the notches in the hammer in similar manner as does the principal sere.

From the auxiliary sere d, I extend an arm, b, its end formed so as to pass through theframe, as at f, and project s ufliciently to rest-upon the trigger-guard, and so, that when the trigger-guard is home, as in fig. 1, the trigger-guardwill raise the arm I) so as to hold the sere d, and prevent its falling into the notch in the hammer, as seen in fig. 1, but when the trigger-guard is depressed or thrown forward, then the sere dis left freeso as to fall into the notch in the hammer, as seen in fig. 2, and thus support the hammer, so that the sere. proper has no efiect upon the hammer until the trigger-guard is returned, and the sere d thrown out from the notch in the hammer. Then the principal cure by Letters Patent, is 1 The auxiliary sere (I, combined with the hammer and trigger-guard, and principal sere, so as'to operate substantially in the manner herein set forth.

LUKE WHEELOOK.

Witnesses r JOHN H. SHUMWAY, A. J. Tmnrrs, 

